Citizens and friends of Levy County, my name is John Meeks and I wish to represent you as your next District 1 County Commissioner. After a lot of prayer and discussion with my immediate family I decided to pursue my lifelong goal to represent the people of Levy County.
Born and raised in Bronson I am a fifth generation Levy County Citizen. I graduated from Bronson High School in 1994. My senior year I served as class president and captain of the football team. Upon graduation, I began working at Bronson Ace Hardware while attending Santa Fe Community College where I earned an Associate of Arts degree. I then enrolled at the University of Florida. During my time at UF, I continued to work and advance at Bronson Ace. In May of 2002, I earned a bachelor 's degree in history and graduated from UF. Working my way through college and earning my college degrees taught me the value of hard work and dedication.
Later in October of the same year, I married the love of my life, Stephanie Nettles. We have three wonderful boys: Liam, 6, Carson, 4, and Nolan, 19 months. Stephanie is a registered nurse in the NICU, at Shands Hospital. Liam started kindergarten this year at Bronson Elementary School. It has been a joyful experience watching my children grow and also spend time with my parents, Robert and Mary Boettcher Meeks.
Giving back to the community has always been a top priority for me. Through the years, I have been a member of many clubs and served on various committees. I am currently the president of the Bronson Chamber of Commerce. I also am proud to serve the veterans of Levy County as the finance officer for the Sons of AMVETS.
One of my proudest accomplishments was serving on the Citizens Advisory Task Force. In a four-year cycle we were able to secure two federal housing grants. These grants brought over $200,000 to rehab and rebuild homes in our community. Another passion of mine is being the voice of the Bronson Eagles every fall for the home football games. Like every other country boy my hobbies include hunting, fishing, and spending time with my children. My family and I also attend the Ellzey United Methodist Church.
Since graduating from the University of Florida I have been promoted to manager at Bronson Ace Hardware, where I continue to work to this day. The experience of running a business has taught me many valuable lessons including: dealing with the public, managing finances and payroll, and helping build a business from the ground up. These are all valuable lessons I will use to serve you, the citizens of Levy County.
I believe there is a delicate balance that can maintained between progress and keeping the county the way we all enjoy it now. There is a definite need in our county for more jobs and clean industry. I will work to attract businesses so more people will be employed, and more importantly, our children can live and thrive in Levy County.
In these poor economic times the last thing we need is a representative that is going to cost the taxpayers more money, increase taxes, or wastefully spend. With this in mind, I will seek revenues from places other than the pockets of property owners in our county. We should secure grant money to fund projects such as improving our infrastructure and improving public safety. As a servant of the people, I promise to do what is best for the county. I will use common sense when making the tough decisions that must be made.
As your commissioner my goal is to serve you, the people of Levy County, to the best of my ability. Please remember to vote on Aug. 14 for, John Meeks, County Commissioner District 1. I appreciate your support. Thank you!
For more information feel free to contact John Meeks via email at electmeeks12@aol.com
or call 352-222-4442, or write to 11750 NE 107th Place, Archer, FL 32618.